Katie Rosanbalm, Ph.D.
Associate Research Professor
Katie grew up in rural Virginia, but has lived in Chapel Hill, NC, for more than 20 years. She has a PhD in child clinical psychology and has worked as a researcher with the Center for Child and Family Policy at Duke since 2004, specializing in childhood adversity, trauma-informed care, and building resilience for children and adults. In addition to her work with early childhood education through the ITTI Care Project, Katie champions trauma-informed education in K-12 schools through the NC Center for Resilience and Learning. She loves connecting with and learning from educators across the state, with an emphasis on workforce wellness, relationship-building and social-emotional support.
Ennis Baker, MSW, LCSW, IMH-E®
ITTI Care Project Director
Ennis grew up in Western Massachusetts and New York City and is a licensed clinical social worker specializing in early childhood mental health. She is endorsed as an Infant/Family Specialist and Reflective Supervisor through NCIMHA. She began her career as a toddler teacher and since 1990 has lived and worked in various counties in North Carolina, focusing on children under age 5 as a toddler teacher, home visitor, program director, parent/child therapist and on a multidisciplinary child evaluation team at the Durham Developmental Evaluation Center (DEC). From 1999-2018, Ennis served as a manager and mental health specialist for Head Start/Early Head Start in Chapel Hill, NC, providing leadership and infant/early childhood mental health consultation to program staff and families around issues of toxic stress, child abuse and neglect, best practice in infant/toddler child care, parenting, preventing and managing children’s challenging behavior, adult and child mental health, and strengthening families by promoting protective factors. She is committed to promoting equity, nurturing collaboration, and strengthening relationships within and across early childhood systems, and has been a NCIMHA Board member since 2018. Ennis has been the Project Director since 2018 when ITTI Care was launched. Ennis is the grateful mother of 3 adults, the adoring aunt of 2 littles and is honored to be the widow of an amazing man who taught Kindergarten and First Grade in Title 1 schools in NC for over 20 years.
Lauren Thomason, LCMHC, IMH-E®
ITTI Care Project Coach
Lauren grew up in Charlotte and has lived in the Raleigh/Durham area since 2002. She is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor specializing in early childhood mental health, adoption/foster care. While beginning as an outpatient therapist, she transitioned into working with Learning Together, a developmental day center, and Head Start in Wake County as a Mental Health Consultant. She also provided in-home therapy to families living in motels while they were rehomed to more stable living situations in the More than A Roof project. Lauren is trained in all levels of Triple P, Theraplay, and Attachment Biobehavioral Catch-up. She is a vetted Reflective Supervision supervisor for I/ECMH Endorsement in North Carolina and is Endorsed as an Infant Family Specialist. Lauren began working with the ITTI Care Project as a coach in February 2020. Lauren an NC certificate in Trauma & Resilience with an added focus on racial trauma. She has a passion for young children and promoting healthy attachment. She has a new niece and enjoys singing a cappella and hiking in her spare time.
Rojalyn Berryman Phillips
Project Coach/ITTI Care Project Coach
Rojalyn is a native of North Carolina, she grew up in Sanford, N.C. before entering into the US Army. Rojalyn Phillips is a dedicated professional in early childhood education. She served as a NAFCC Accreditation Observer, and a certified CLASS Observer. Rojalyn has demonstrated her leadership skills by leading a team of consultants for Child Care Aware® of America, where she worked closely with sites around Fort Bragg as part of the Army Child Care in Your Neighborhood (ACCYN) program. Her efforts have significantly contributed to elevating the quality of these programs to meet National Accreditation standards. Rojalyn has also served in a variety of roles as a Smart Start Education Specialist, Head Start director Support Services. As a presenter at North Carolina's Smart Start Conference and the NCaeyc Conference, she shared insights on the effectiveness of technical assistance in child care programs. Rojalyn is known for her dynamic training on a range of topics, with a special focus on science, nature, and math in early childhood education. Rojalyn was an ITTI Care Cohort Coach in Cohort 4 (began working with the ITTI Project August 2024). She has been married to her husband over twenty-five years, and they have 5 children and 11 grandchildren. Her hobby is reading mystery novels
Whitney McCoy, Ph.D.
Research Scientist
Whitney is a native of and resides in High Point, North Carolina. She has a PhD in educational psychology. Her work focuses on educational interventions to increase engagement to support educators and students. In addition to her work with the ITTI Care Project, she supports trauma-informed education through the Resilience and Learning Project for K-12 schools. Whitney began working with the ITTI Care Project in December of 2021. She assists with data collection, analysis, and reports. Whitney holds a K-6 NC teacher license and is a former Kindergarten, 4th, 5th, and 6th grade teacher. She enjoys collaborating with educators and families regarding pedagogical practices, child development, socialization, and enhancing learning outcomes. Whitney is the aunt of 4 boys and 2 girls and loves traveling in her free time.
Sonya Ulrich, M.S.
Research Project Manager
Sonya grew up in Chicago, and has lived in Iowa, Florida, California, and New York. She has been very happy to call Durham, North Carolina home for the past 17 years. Sonya received a degree in Experimental Psychology and has always been interested in helping design and evaluate programs to help young children and families. Sonya is currently a Research Project Manager and has worked on evaluations of programs with the Center for Child and Family Policy since 2011. Sonya began working with the ITTI Care Project in the fall of 2019. She manages data collection, assists with data analysis and reports, and enjoys being a part of a project that impacts the lives of children and families across the state. Outside of work, Sonya enjoys spending time with her children, hiking and kayaking, and getting together for meals or game nights with family and friends.
Jenneca Graber-Grace, M.A.T.
Research Program Coordinator
Jenneca is originally from a small town in central Virginia. She moved to Durham after finishing graduate school in 2019 and has been happy there ever since. Jenneca is a double graduate of the University of Virginia with a B.A. in American Studies and a Master’s in Teaching. Prior to joining the Center in 2023, she spent three years teaching High School English and Creative Writing at the Southern School of Energy & Sustainability in Durham, followed by a year working with Durham nonprofits in marketing and youth engagement. Jenneca’s decision to pursue a career at CCFP is driven by her deep-rooted belief in equity and her alignment with the Center’s dedication to improving the well-being of children and families. At the Center, she works on the ITTI Care (Infant-Toddler Trauma-Informed Care) Project, as well as supports the administrative team in onboarding new employees, managing communications, and contributing to NCERDC. Outside of work, Jenneca enjoys playing the guitar, hiking with her dog, and playing board games with friends.
Sharon Little, Ph.D, IMH-E®
ITTI Care Project Coach
Sharon grew up in Wadesboro, and resides in Anson County, and currently is the Higher Education Liaison with Early Years NC. A former Program Lead and Faculty in Early Childhood Education at South Piedmont Community College in Anson County. Sharon started her career as a preschool teacher with Head Start and has worked a variety of roles in the early childhood profession. Sharon served as a developmental day center director, childcare social worker, subsidy policy consultant, licensing consultant, private childcare consultant for early childhood organizations. Sharon is a Member of NCIMHA’s Statewide Advisory Committee, and is a vetted Reflective Supervision supervisor for I/ECMH Endorsement in North Carolina and is Endorsed as an Infant Family Specialist. Sharon began working with the ITTI Care Project as a coach in February 2020. Sharon worked in collaborative partnerships and provided training on the early childhood and higher education levels in various topics, including developmentally appropriate practices, collaboration, professionalism,mentorship, equity, and practicum settings for early childhood professionals. Sharon has a passion for all areas of early education, and is an advocate for higher education, trauma informed practices, and working with diverse populations in our state. Sharon is mother to 2 adult daughters, and grandmother to two grandchildren.